Information on Capacity Utilization for Public Transportation: Useful for Passengers?

Abstract

Crowding in public transportation (PT) is a major challenge that has negative economic consequences for providers and negative psychological consequences for passengers. With more and more people using journey planner apps and the increasing availability of precise information on capacity utilization (CU) of PT, providing information on alternative, less crowded route options to passengers, is possible. In order to determine when, how and where the information on CU needs to be displayed and for whom it is especially useful for planning a trip, an online study was administered. An objective of the study was to investigate the use of journey planner apps among public transport users in more detail. In particular, the frequency and timing of app use for different trip purposes were investigated. Another goal was to identify under what circumstances public transport users perceive information on CU as useful. Results (N = 204) show that the frequency and timing of the use of journey planner apps differs depending on the trip purpose. People from metropolitan areas use journey planner apps less often than people from smaller cities. Trip purpose, duration of the trip, and service frequency have an influence on the perceived usefulness of information on CU. Important insights on the use of journey planner apps and the optimal conditions for the target group specific provision of information on CU could be gained with this study. The results can be used to derive strategies and recommendations for PT service providers.